EDUCATION & HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 89, 12 October 1920, Page 11

EDUCATION & HEALTH

TO THE EDITOR. I Sir, —If our education system we're made more attractive and carried out on strictly hygienic lines by those who understand, and are in sympathy with, child nature, it would not be necessary for "secondary education" to be made compulsory, or for already overburdened parents to be compelled by law to pay exorbitant fees for medical attendance, advised for their children by the everincreasing number of Departmental doctors and nurses, whose high salaries have to be met by the taxpayers, to whom, in many instances, the State is morally deeply indebted. These persecuted parents of large families are thwarted at all points in their endeavours, in most cases on incomes far below the average salary of our parliamentarians, to meet the ever-increasing cost of living. I say "living," but it is too often simply a "bare existence."

The insanitary condition of many of the State schools, having badly lighted, ill-ventilated rooms, furnished generally with desks of designs admirably snited for causing hollow cheats and spinalcurvature, couplsd with the manner in which our little ones receive so-called "education," is the true origin of the majority of the complaints from which the helpless youngsters suffer. We hear on all sides: " Our children never had any of these things" till they began to attend the public schools! If the thousands of pounds spent aiuw ally on superfluous medical inspectors went to pay for the sanitary housiitg of the young, we should hear less of the growing evils among that precious asset' of the State—the rising generation. . 3"he following is a.brief example of a medical inspection visit to a class in a large school under the Wellington Education Board. It" is a bitterly cold day in winter. A large class of girls, of tender years, are ordered to undress almost, if not quite, to the- waist, and each await her turn, where there is no fire, to be examined by the doctor, who is quite oblivious, evidently, to the fact that the poor kiddies may catch severe chills! Parent* then wonder why their offspring contract bronchitis and -kindred complaints, while no .intelligent effort is spared at home to safeguard the health of their girls , and boys. And the Department's medical officers, are apparently quite ignorant of, or else for red tape reasons, deliberately close their eyes to the conditions, antagonistic to Nature's laws, which obtain in our schools. The giving of homework, often, excessively absurd in amount, puts the finishing touch to preventing any natural desire on the part of scholars, for healthy recreation. Even the infant and lo,wer classes-»1tro frequently given a latige number of home lessons, with the alternative of sitting cramped up in school all playtime. Just fancy keeping wee tots in the whole of playtime! Then i£ a holiday comes, it has to be made up for by extra nightwork done by the pupils. Principally owing to the homework bogey, there are comparatively few students in the Secondary Departments, so I that thp teachers cannot quote "large. classes" as an excuse for antiquated methods. And those who know the real | facts are aware that about half the j school time is spent' in correcting home- : lessons of the' previous 1 night. What is the use of parents buying expensive books on hygiene for their children, if they are not allowed to put into practice the knowledge acquired from studying them? Is this the "logic" of our teachers who possess University degrees? To quote from a popular hygiene book used iin our schools, a doctor says, "The custom that prevails in some schools of giving work that requires children to study at night, is a very bad one. A poorly ventilated schoolroom is dangerous to the health pf children. Anemia may j also appear with developing girls and 1 fast-growing boys just entering the high school. Harmonious development of both mind and body is needed, not merely the cramming of the mind with books." Quite a large number of intellectual I parents scarcely ever allow their growing children to attend evening entertainments, and would always insist on them getting to bed early if it were not for compulsory night studies. Surely after being at full tension for five or six hours during school time, the developing brain of the child needs rest, while the body cannot be healthy when kept almost incessantly in a crampted, unnatural position. These grave conditions are a great menace to the public health, and sterner measures should be taken to remove such a stigma on an intelligent race of I Britishers. Some parents endeavour to overcome the difficulty by allowing their boys and girls a little healthy recreation, :in the open air and sunshine, on Sun- ' days, instead of sending them to church or Sunday School, but are, of course, designated heathens, etc., because they strive to remember Nature, if only on the Sabtiath. Much credit is due to the Scout Movement, which makes a bold effort to remedy the evils of our present education methods, but at week-end parades it' is | pitiable to see our growing boys dulleyed and tired through late nights consequent upon home lessons, added to the adverse conditions prevailing all the week in our State schools.—l am etc., PARENT. Masterton, 27th September, 1920.